Freedom..
A simple expression.
Most had it ..
Few thought they had it.
And fewer didn't
Leo was one of those few .
Restrictions came in different ways..
And suffering had different faces.
In his first life Leo was born to an immensely rich family.
As a child everyone around him was only interested in one thing.
More money.
And they used any means necessary.
Leo was trained to fit into high society from birth.
Rules where enforced harshly and deviations where met with even violence.
Most would think he lived well .
But only those that lived in his shoes would understand.
When he transmigrated he thought this would be his opportunity to finally feel free .
Yet he was met with suppression again.
First it was a lock on his energy.
He couldn't access world energy.
Even after he got access to world energy
He could always feel something else
Like an icy seal suppressing his potential.
So when he was asked what he fights for
Only one word came to mind.
All he wanted was freedom.
*****************************
As he yelled to the sky the world responded.
Space shattered.
Silver light erupted from Leo's body like a supernova.
The surrounding forest exploded outward beneath the sheer force of his awakening.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
Trees were uprooted.
The earth cracked.
The skies darkened.
Then
Stars appeared.
Despite the rising dawn.
The man in black took a step backward for the first time since the battle had begun.
"... Interesting.. so the real fight has started.."
Leo couldn't hear him.
Pain consumed him.
It felt as though every cell within his body was being torn apart and rebuilt simultaneously.
The suppression surrounding his soul something that had existed for so long he had mistaken it as part of himself was breaking.
Cracking.
Shattering.
The voice inside him laughed.
Not maliciously.
Triumphantly.
Pure ecstacy in it's voice.
"At last."
Leo fell to one knee.
His breathing was ragged.
His vision blurred.
Yet...
He could feel it.
Energy.
Boundless.
Ancient.
Familiar.
The strange force that had surrounded him since arriving in this world no longer restrained him.
Instead.
It flowed through him.
The stars overhead pulsed.
Space bent around him.
And slowly...
Leo stood.
His eyes where glazed like he was in a trans state
The stranger narrowed his eyes his aura surging.
"...Interesting."
Leo raised his head.
His appearance started had changing.
Deep black hair now carried flowing streaks of silver and violet.
His icy blue eyes had transformed completely.
Violet irises surrounded pupils resembling distant galaxies with a silver grid in them.
Constellation-like markings spread across his arms and neck.
Even the air around him distorted.
As though reality struggled to contain him.
The voice within him spoke again.
Gentler now.
"A world awakening at such an age... Wonderful."
Images flooded Leo's mind.
Ancient warriors.
Countless stars.
Battles fought across endless skies.
He saw the truth behind the space element.
He saw the void in it's purest form as not just a force of nature but an aspect of reality.
It wasn't just an empty void where existence was but the foundation of all things.
It was the building block on which all things formed.
It didn't just contain things ..
It connected them
Violet threads spread everywhere connecting all things.
They intersected showing the paths of causality and karma.
The knowledge settled.
" Space is the building block of the universe that connects all things..
Life.. death.. time .. sound .. matter and even energy..
All things are grounded and connected in space."
As the word flowed from his mouth the rampant energy around him calmed becoming part of him.
Leo exhaled.
Silver mist escaped his lips.
"...So this is..."
He looked down at his hands.
"... freedom.."
Focus returned to his gaze .
His transformation continued yet he couldn't wait he stared at the stranger across the plain.
The man observed quietly.
His pitch black aura burning around him.
Then
He smiled.
For the first time.
"...Good... Now we can have a proper fight"
Leo looked toward him raising his blades.
"... Tell me your name.."
The stranger raised his blade.
".... If you can beat me I'll tell you."
Leo frowned slightly then smiled .
"...Fine but give this all you got."
The man adjusted his stance.
"... Make me."
His gaze sharpened.
Battle will exploded on both sides.
Then they moved.
BOOOOM!
The ground exploded beneath thier feet.
Leo's eyes widened slightly.
Fast.
Even now.
The man remained incredibly fast.
The black blade descended.
Yet Leo wasn't defenseless as his transformation continued his body became stronger faster and more durable.
He felt like he was jumping ranks.
Leo instinctively raised his hand.
Space folded.
CLANG!
The sword stopped inches from his palm.
The man blinked.
Leo looked equally surprised.
He a world saint had blocked the head on strike of a world king.
The voice inside him chuckled.
"Move."
Leo disappeared.
Not through spatial distortion.
Not entirely.
It felt...
Different.
Space folded around him.
The stars overhead shimmered.
Then Leo appeared behind the man.
His twin blades moved.
Blue-violet energy gathered.
Purple flames exploded.
Yet they didn't explod.
Silver energy stabilized them .
Each revolved around the other in harmony.
BOOOOOM!
The stranger blocked.
Yet he slid backward several meters.
The forest trembled.
Leo stared at his hand.
"... Not enough .. I need more."
The man straightened.
"...Excellent."
Then.
He attacked .
What followed...
Could barely be called a fight.
It was a battle.
Martial powers where executed with finesse .
Techniques where exchanged at blinding speeds.
The forest became their battlefield.
The sky fractured.
Space bent unnaturally.
Leo moved faster than ever before.
Each strike carried pure world energy.
Each step distorted reality.
The stranger countered with unparalleled skill.
He exploited openings.
Redirected force.
Controlled the flow of combat.
Darkness exploded with every attack.
Yet...
Leo adapted.
Rapidly.
Too rapidly.
His strength rose with each moment.
SHHHK!
The black blade cut across Leo's side.
Blood splattered.
Leo retaliated instantly.
A blade of purple flames mixed with silver starlight slammed into the strangers arm.
The stranger's sleeve disintegrated.
He stared briefly at the damage.
"...Remarkable."
Leo pressed forward.
Spatial rifts emerged around the battlefield.
The man dodged.
Silver energy erupted from Leo's blade.
The stranger blocked.
CRACK!
For the first time.
The man's guard broke.
Leo's breathing remained heavy.
The form he had awakened consumed enormous energy.
His body struggled to withstand it.
Yet he could feel he was close.
Close to a true awakening.
Leo understood everything.
He needed to finish this.
Soon.
The stranger stood calmly his breathing now a bit strained.
"...You have surpassed my expectations."
Leo narrowed his eyes.
"... Are you still testing me."
The man shook his head.
"... No ..but I've not been going full force"
Silence.
Then
"...This final exchange will determine everything."
He raised his blade.
The forest fell silent.
Even the wind stopped.
Leo inhaled deeply.
Purple flames ignited.
Silver starlight danced around him.
Space twisted.
Violet-blue energy surrounded him.
Karmic threads shimmered.
His cultivation surged.
Everything converged.
The barrier before him shattered.
The stranger nodded once.
"Let me show you the true gap between a world saint and a king ...
Let me show you true power"
His energy burned like a supernova.
Darkness spread from his body engulfing the battlefield in endless shadows.
Yet within that the shine of Leo's aura grew illuminating everywhere.
As both energies reached their peak the two shouted at once while lunging at each other.
WORLD DOMAIN: ENDLESS ECLIPSE OF THE ETERNAL NIGHT.
WORLD AWAKENING: STELLER ABYSS FATEBREAKER...